GD's POV

 

 

FAMOUS LAST WORDS.

 

 

Fighting the shiver currently racking my body, I crouched beside Taehee to survey the damage. "Why can't we just call for assistance? There must be a service centre here, somewhere."

 

"Already tried that." He showed his phone screen to me. "Couldn't get any signal through the damn woods."

 

"Well we can't just stay here. At this rate, we'll freeze to death."

 

I stood up and started searching for any signs of human life. I probably made it twenty steps before I heard weird rustling sounds coming from the forest. Yikes. I instantly scurried back to the car.

 

"We can change the tires, but it'll take about an hour to finish," I heard the driver say as I approached them. "There's a small village not far from here. If you start walking, you'd be able to reach it before sunset." 

 

I tightened the scarf around my neck. "What about the two of you?"

 

"It's fine, Mr. Kwon," my bodyguard calmly replied as he opened up the trunk. "We're used to this kind of weather, sir. You should've seen the snowfall last year. Now that was a horrible sight to see."

 

"But—"

 

"He's right," Taehee agreed as he started hauling my luggage out of the car. "The sooner we go on foot, the faster we can send help to them." He handed me my backpack before turning to look at our two companions. "If I don't come back in two hours, just proceed to the village, okay?"

 

They nodded in agreement.

 

"Wait, I have something here..." I trailed off as I took out the handwarmers I kept inside my bag. I handed a pair to each of them. "Sorry. These were the only ones I managed to bring. It's not much, but at least it'll help you fight off the cold."

 

"Thank you, Mr. Kwon."

 

After securing our stuff and making sure we knew which direction to go, Taehee and I started our trek out of the forest trail. The sky was gloomy today, mirroring the exact emotion I had been feeling since the start of our journey. I still couldn't believe how things escalated so quickly and all because I couldn't control my temper. Sigh.

 

A flash of memory entered my mind as a gust of cold wind hit my face. Back when we were little, my sister and I used to fight over whose snowman was the better-looking one. Whoever wins gets an extra piece of pie for dinner. As I glanced at the thick snow we were currently trudging on, I realized how the blissful winter of my past greatly differed with that of the present. I looked at the line of trees near the pathway, buried under a sea of white powder, its branches all shriveled up and dry.

 

How can something so beautiful be this deadly?

 

The first thirty minutes went by in utter silence as we both focused on walking up and down the road, our boots plunged ankle-deep in snow. I could feel my backpack getting heavy as my energy depleted, my breath coming out as thick wisps of air. When I tried to walk faster, my foot accidentally got caught in a pothole and I lost my balance. Luckily, Taehee was able to grab my arm before I hit the ground.

 

"Careful, Ji. The road's about to get slippery."

 

My chest heaved from the effort as I got back up. I tried checking where we were when I noticed flickering lights from the distance.

 

"Hey, is that—"

 

"Yep," he ardently replied. "We're almost there."

 

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

 

With the promise of safety in the horizon, we both doubled our efforts. I muttered a silent prayer to the heavens as the snowy ground finally morphed into a cobblestone path. A number of people were strolling around the area tonight, mostly families dressed in thick padded coats enjoying their fish cakes and sweets provided by the food stalls that were lined up along the street.

 

A sudden feeling of emptiness washed over me.

 

Going out in public was hard to do when you're constantly under speculation. I mean, I can't even remember the last time I've eaten any street food. My face was partly hidden by my cap and without the mask, I initially thought someone would recognize me. Five...ten seconds passed...nothing happened. Other than offering a tentative nod my way, no one seemed the least bit affected by my presence.

 

So this is what it feels like to be free. What I would give to have every single day spent like this. No screaming fans, no annoying flashes of cameras, no nosy reporters...just me and the moment.

 

Out of nowhere, something hit my leg. I turned around and saw a little girl sprawled on the ground near my feet. I extended my hand to help her up.

 

"Are you okay?" I asked with a smile.

 

Not to brag or anything, but if history was any indication, whenever I start flashing my pearly whites, the entire female population ranging from cute little girls to grown women would either swoon or gawk at the sight of me.

 

She did none of the above.

 

"Ahjussi, you shouldn't stand at the middle of the street," she said in the most serious tone a seven year old can muster. "You might get hit by a car, you know." She then dusted off her skirt.

 

I chuckled as I flexed my knees so I can be at her eye-level. "What's your name?"

 

"Haru," she proudly replied.

 

"That's a very nice name for a pretty young lady." I patted her head. "Say, Haru. Do you know me?"

 

She pouted her lower lip, her brows meeting at the center as she shook her head.

 

"Eh? Are you sure? Maybe you should look again." I turned my head to the left so she could see my side profile. "How about now?"

 

She cocked her head to the side. "Ahjussi, you're weird." Then she giggled and took off running.

 

"Ya, Haru! I'm not yet done with you!"

 

Aiiish. She seriously doesn't know me? Do any of these people own a TV?

 

"Jiyong! Look!" I turned around. Taehee was pointing to a modern building a few feet away. "That's the hotel where President Yang made the reservation! We're saved!"

 

I straightened and began to follow him when something caught my attention. An old square building situated at the end of the road stood in solidarity from the others. It looked nothing special; the driveway was even covered entirely with snow. What made it pop out from the rest however, was the colorful graffiti on the brick wall.

 

"Daisies," I said in awe.

 

It was beautiful.

 

"Jiyong," Taehee called out from the hotel's entrance. "Dude, are you coming?" When I remained rooted to the spot, he hesitantly walked toward me, turning his head to follow the direction of my gaze. "What are you looking at?"

 

I could only stare in response.

 

"Oh no. No, no, no, no. I've seen that look before." Taehee moved to stand before me with his hands on his hips, smoothly obscuring my line of vision. "Now let's not make any hasty decisions. Remember, we already have a hotel room. Straying from the plan is never a good idea."

 

I shoved him to the side and started walking the other way. "You're forgetting that the whole plan is to make me feel relaxed."

 

"You can relax inside the hotel!" He tried pulling my arm again. I didn't budge and continued to walk.

 

"My gut feeling says I have to go there."

 

"Your gut feeling is wrong!!"

 

"Taehee-ssi, if you don't let go of me right now, I'll make a scene."

 

He frowned and shot me a doubtful look. "No, you won't. You're just bluffing."

 

I smirked evilly. "Wanna bet?"

 

 

Mino's POV

 

This is torture. I can't believe he's letting me do this.

 

"Higher!"

 

I fought the urge to throw a snowball at him. "If I go any higher, I'd reach the heavens, hyung!!"

 

"Shut up you brat and just do what you're told!"

 

"If you want it to be perfect then why don't you do it?"

 

He took a bite of his muffin and shrugged. "I'm old."

 

"You're forty-five not eighty!! Stop using your age as an excuse!!"

 

"Why this little jerk. Are you talking back to me now?"

 

"Aiiish! Why can't you just let a professional do this?!" I screamed into the darkening sky. "I already told you to ask Mr. Yu to install the cable so you can watch your damn TV!"

 

"And what do you suggest I pay him?" He placed a hand over his hip as I struggled connecting the satellite dish to the pole. "You can't even find a steady job with that radio show of yours."

 

"I'm a DJ for heaven's sake," I grumbled while tying a cord around the stupid thing. "How many times do I have to tell you that? And it's not a radio show! I have a band!"

 

"Bah! Band schmand," he scoffed. "It's not a job if it doesn't pay the bills, boy."

 

The sound of bells ringing indicated that someone had entered the hotel. I glanced at my watch. Dara noona was not supposed to arrive in a few hours. Did she finish work early?

 

"Tsk. Who could it be?" He grumbled. "Mino, don't forget to bring the tools back in here, okay?" He reminded me for the hundredth time before going inside the back door.

 

I finished the task in a hurry and picked the remaining cord and screwdrivers. Carefully maneuvering through the snow-covered roof, I made my way down to safety.

 

"What do you mean you don't have any money?" I heard hyung ask the guest as I entered.

 

"Sir, we left our money in our car which is currently stuck in the woods. We had to go by foot so we could get some help."

 

"Listen, kid, you think I'm stupid? This is what freeloaders would normally say in situations like this. How do I know? I've got one right here." He then pointed an accusatory finger at my direction.

 

"Ya! Stop spreading false rumors about me!"

 

Jae Suk hyung just made a face and threatened to throw the telephone at me for creating a mess on the floor. "Mop that up or you'll find yourself without a bed to sleep tonight."

 

"Okay okay! Geez."

 

"Ahjussi," another voice piped up. "I swear to God we're telling the truth. My comrades are stuck in there. If we don't get them out, something bad might happen."

 

Jae Suk snorted. "Aigoo, that's an old one. Why don't you come up with something a little bit original, okay?"

 

"Hyung, I can't find the—"

 

A loud crash resonated throughout the reception area as I dropped the tools on the floor. All three heads looked at me curiously. Am I hallucinating? I blinked. Then blinked again. My tongue felt like lead as I gawked at the guy standing in front of Jae Suk.

 

"Oi, Mino! What the hell is wrong with you?"

 

"You..." I slowly raised my arm, pointing a shaky finger at one of them. "Y-you're G-G-GD. K-Kwon Ji Yong!!!"

 

Surprise flooded his features. "You recognize me?"

 

"Of course!!" I all but shouted. "I mean, who doesn't know you?!"

 

He rubbed the back of his neck and softly chuckled. "Apparently everyone in this town except for you."

 

"I'm a huge fan!!" I stumbled my way toward him, repeatedly knocking my knees on the furniture and totally ignoring Yoo Jae Suk's pissed off expression. "It's so good to meet you in person!!" He seemed a bit taken aback with the way I was blantantly ogling him, but was still gracious enough to shake hands with a simpleton like me.

 

I'm soooo never washing my hand again. Kekekeke

 

"Wait a minute," I muttered as soon as my spirit got down from cloud nine. "Why does a top star like you want to stay in a dump like this?" 

 

"Watch your mouth, you punk." Hyung pulled me by my ear and I cried out. "Who is this guy, anyway?" He asked as he straightened his glasses, giving GD an unmissable once-over.

 

I elbowed him in the ribs and shot my idol an apologetic smile. "Give us a moment please." I grabbed Jae Suk toward the corner and made sure our backs were facing them as I whispered, "Hyung, didn't you say we need the extra money for the rainy day fund?"

 

"Yeah, so?"

 

"Well, your money maker just walked in through that door." 

 

"What?"

 

"Aiiish. I'm talking about GD!" 

 

Jae Suk finally understood the reference and carefully took a peek over his shoulder. Even in ordinary clothing, GD still managed to look dope just standing there with his hand in his pocket. "He does look familiar."

 

"That's because you've seen him on TV before! You even told me you liked his song!" 

 

He crossed his arms. "You mean to say that a celebrity has chosen this hotel to spend the night?"

 

"Bingo."

 

"And you're saying he's a very popular person?"

 

"Only known as the King of K-pop."

 

"So he's rich?"

 

"Filthy." I wiggled my brows for emphasis.

 

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You sure?"

 

"I bet my life on it."

 

I haven't seen Jae Suk move this fast as he made his way toward the counter. Wordlessly opening the drawer, he took out the box where we usually kept the keys. He then looked at GD...and smiled.

 

Daebak. His mood just took a hundred eighty degree turn.

 

"Welcome to our humble abode, Mr. Kwon. How long are you planning to stay with us?"

 

 

Dara's POV

 

"I'm home!"

 

*crickets crickets* 

 

"Hello??" 

 

Still no answer. Where is everybody?

 

I removed my shoes and slipped into a pair of comfortable slippers. Work today was thankfully uneventful. Unlike the horrendous outdoor activity we had two weeks ago, no one was exposed to any mortal peril this time. Haru, again, left the group and tried to sneak into the candy store across the street. Luckily, I was able to hunt her down before she laid hands on that jawbreaker. Quite a shame too since her parents were both dentists.

 

On the other hand, Minguk finally managed to play drums without hitting his brothers. It had taken me almost a month just to get him to cooperate. Every time I introduced a new instrument to the little boy, he usually finds a way to turn it into some kind of weapon of mass destruction. I honestly lost count of the number of times I got bruises because of him.

 

And Yeonjun...well, he's the most adorable boy ever. Among the bunch of kids I look after, Yeonjun is by far the most well-behaved and mild-mannered. Too bad he's only here for vacation and has to leave for the city soon. I'm definitely going to miss the little ball of sunshine.

 

My stomach grumbled as I walked straight to the kitchen to prepare our dinner. There were no signs of either Jae Suk or Mino which was quite odd, considering they were always the first ones to arrive. They must've gone out to buy something from the store again. 

 

I popped in my earphones and listened to classical music as I re-heated the food I brought home. Living with two men proved to be quite a challenge since I was tasked to perform 'motherly' chores like doing the laundry, cleaning the house and most importantly, feeding them. It was also my way to repay Jae Suk for letting me live with him without asking for anything in return. Blood related or not, I didn't want to be a burden to him so I do what I can to help.

 

When Mino got his second molar removed, I had to accompany the big baby since he wouldn't go unless I went with him. I was in the middle of squeezing Mino's hand to show my support when the dentist casually mentioned that she was looking for someone to babysit her daughter since she and her husband were so busy. Thinking it was a good opportunity to earn, I instantly took the job. She must've told a number of her friends since eventually, my baby sitting job turned to a full-pledged daycare center. 

 

Although the job pays decent money, it's still not enough to cover all of our expenses. Sad, but true.

 

After making sure that the food was ready, I turned off the gas. Seeing that I still have some time left, I padded to my room and immediately removed my stained top, not even bothering to turn on the lights. Grabbing my towel from the chair, I headed to the bathroom and took a quick shower to rid the smell of meat and oil on my skin. Ten minutes later and I was done. I slid into a pair of clean underwear and covered my body with a towel.

 

Outside, I heard tires skidding to a stop which means Jae Suk and Mino were back. Omo, I gotta hurry. I was manually drying my hair when the door to the bathroom suddenly opened.

 

I froze.

 

A half- man stood at the door, one hand stuck on his disheveled hair while the other holding a towel. His mouth fell open as he locked eyes with me. I grabbed the nearest thing I could find and--

 

"WAIT!!! NOOOOOO!!!!"

 

All hell breaks loose.